The Lorax

Directed by: Chris Renaud, Kyle Balda

Certificate: U
Country: USA
Running time: 86 mins
Year: 2012
Suitable for: primary literacy, science, geography (sustainable development)
Key words: environment, industry, sustainability, photosynthesis, Dr. Seuss

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SYNOPSIS
The story is set in Thneed-Ville, a walled city where everything is manufactured there are no
plants growing and even the air is bottled and sold to Thneed-Villes inhabitants. Ted, a twelveyear-old boy, wants to impress his friend, Audrey, by fulfilling her dream of seeing a real tree. His
grandma tells him to find out The Once-ler, who lives outside the city walls.
The Once-ler turns out to be a grumpy ex-businessman who has become a hermit. He tells Ted
that he will tell him where to find a tree, but that he has to listen to his story first. Ted begrudgingly
agrees to listen.
It turns out that the Once-ler was the inventor of the Thneed a fine something that all people
need! The trouble was, to make Thneeds, you needed Truffula trees, and the Once-ler didnt think
twice about cutting the trees down, despite the fact that this summoned up the spirit of the forest,
the Lorax who warned him of the devastating effect on the environment and the animals who lived
there.
As Ted listens to the Once-lers story, it inspires him to take action to change things in ThneedVille. The trouble is he has to deal with Aloysius OHare, the Mayor, who has made his money
selling bottled air to the local people. He is determined to stop Ted and Audrey from spreading the
word about photosynthesis and the free air that trees produce naturally and for free.
Background Information
The most challenging problem that the animators faced when creating The Lorax was
transforming Dr. Seuss famous drawings and 20- minute story into a 90-minute 3D animated
movie. 350 artists were hired to do the job.
Artists created drawings of the characters and background first. Then models were created of
the characters, the models were then designed in a computer programme, where they were made
mobile.
The movie version of The Lorax came about when film producer Christopher Meledandri started
to think about what happened in the story before we reach page one of the book, and also what
happens after the last page. The story in the book wasnt altered, and appears in the movie
through the Once-lers narrative. The added-on bits are an extension of the story.
The scriptwriting process took six months and everyday, the writers checked that what they
had written was true to Dr. Seuss style.
Of all the books that Dr. Seuss wrote, The Lorax was his favourite. It was first published in
1971.
Whilst it is clear that the film has a clear environmental message, Dr. Seuss always said that the
story was really about taking responsibility and being accountable for your actions.

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Film Education 2012. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external sites

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Photosynthesis: trees.
Habitats and the effect of
industry on the environment

Science

Creating 3-D models of the

world of The Lorax before the
Once-ler changed the landscape
so drastically by chopping all of
the trees down.

Art/DT

Find-Somethings-That-All-People-Need!
Explore the Once-lers reasons for
his actions. Create an argument for the
Thneed industry using, thus gaining a
deeper understanding of the issues raised
and of themselves as consumers.

Topic (sustainable development)

Explore Dr. Seuss language

and challenge children to think
how they could interpret the
similes and metaphors visually.
Develop knowledge and
understanding of poetic devices
such as rhyme, rhythm, simile
and metaphor.

Literacy

The Lorax
cross-curricular
project prompts for
primary schools

Making songs out of Dr. Seuss

words.

Music

Money sums. Balancing

making money with
sustainability: planting trees
when one is cut down.

Numeracy

Keeping promises. Taking

responsibility for your actions.

PSHE

Before seeing the film

CONTEXT
Sustainable development
The Thneed factory: look at the pros and cons of big industry on the environment. Factories bring
employment and growth to an area, but they can also bring pollution. What is the solution?
Dr. Seuss
At the far end of town
where the Grickle-grass grows
and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows
and no birds ever sing excepting old crows
is the street of the Lifted Lorax
Read the book to the class and discuss its themes and style. Children could research Dr. Seuss to
find out more about him and his books.
After seeing the film

Smogulous Smoke and Gluppity Glup how have these words from Dr. Seuss book been
translated into images?
Describe how:

cutting down the Truffula Trees affected the food supply of the Bar-ba-Loots

the exhaust fumes of the delivery trucks affected the health of the Swomee Swans

making the Thneed produced shloppity shlop that, when dumped into the pond, harmed
the Humming Fish and

the felling of the last Truffula tree and created a wasteland.

Unless
Adopt the voice of the Lorax to create a call to action for sustainable development. Is there a way
the Once-ler could run his business without harming the environment?

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Teachers Notes
Shot, pair, share
Explore and analyse the two images on the next page as a way of critically evaluating the film.
Discussion prompts
The frame
Describe what you can see in the shot.
Colour / light
How is the scene lit? Are there contrasts between light and shadow? Why is it lit this way?
What are the key colours in the scene? Do any colours stand out more than any others? Why?
What does this tell us about the mood of the scene and the character?
Mise en scne
This means, everything in the frame, or the way information is communicated through a single
shot. Describe the props, furniture, body language and facial expressions. Look at the details of
the shot. Describe how each detail gives us information about the character and the scenes place
in the films narrative.
Methodology
Shot
Discuss each shot as a class. Ask for pupils initial reactions: what does each shot tell us about the
film?
Pair
Ask the children to annotate one or both of the shots in pairs, focusing on framing; colour and light
or mise en scne (or all three).
Share
Each pair should then share one or two key observations about the shot.
15-MINUTE WRITING OPPORTUNITIES
Shot one
Explain how the Once-ler came to be a hermit. Why has he boarded up his window?
Shot two
Create a Let it Grow poem that will convince the Once-ler to grow trees rather than chop them
down.

Written by Julie Green

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Shot One

Shot Two

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